Cambrian Period 542 to 488 mya

Summary

The Gondwana supercontinents was assembled
during the Cambrian Period, named after the Latin name for Wales.

Life developed rapidly from the organisms
which had already appeared during the preceding Ediacarian
Period into a wide variety of forms, some resembling modern animals. The first
molluscs and arthropods
appeared.

Primitive fish might have appeared now too,
but we will leave discussion of fish until the next period, the Ordovician, when they were common.

Continents 550 mya

Gondwana

This supercontinent was made up of most
modern southern continents, including South America, Africa, India, Australia,
Madagascar and Antarctica. It existed from around about 500 to 200 mya. These
continents are now widely separated. What evidence is there that they were once
joined together?